Love is a Two Way Street
by ceecee2016
Summary: Peeta and Katniss become closer than ever in a retelling of the Hunger Games Series. Beginning at the end of their Victory Tour, many new twists and turns occur that differ from the book. More love, romance, hatred, and friendships awaits...
1. Chapter 1:

**Hey Guys, **

**Hope you like this new story. I just finished the first two Hunger Games books and am in the middle of the last one. Let me know what you think and enjoy . **

**Yours Always, -Irish Girl 2me**

…**...**

Although he lying next to me gave me a sense of comfort, I wasn't able to fall asleep. The nightmares were not haunting me, and I wasn't panicked, like I usually am. Here I was feeling safe and the worst of everything was over. _Three more districts_, I kept thinking. I longed for Prim to be in my arms again even if it was in the 'government taped' house. I wished to live back at our old place, but I knew the living space and conditions were better for Prim; unfortunately my opinion had no matter in living there or not.

I turned myself around, keeping his arm still around my waist, so Peeta's sleeping face was towards my own. The soft sound of his breath kept me in a solace state.

I wished I knew what he was dreaming. By the way that he quivered every few minutes, I could tell he was having a nightmare. Though, I wouldn't wake him; it always put me in a state of shock when I was woken.

What if I loved Peeta? I don't know if I could though, because of letting go of the fear of being hurt again. Was that really what it was though? I know that the only reason I would feel that way was the death of my father and the thought of losing my family during the games. But, what if I did? There would be nothing to hide from anyone because I would really be in love with him. Do I love him now? No, I couldn't.

And for the first time, I wanted to tell Peeta. I wanted to say it back to him, but I don't think that I am anywhere near worthy of his love. It would be so much easier if I just let myself be held in his arms, close.

I take my hand and sweep my fingers across his forehead, and I kiss it. I scrunch myself into a ball, and tuck myself into him.

His arm lifts and his hand is placed on my shoulder. I shut my eyes immediately and he stutters so alarmed, "Katniss, you okay?"

"Yeah, I just was worried. You were shaking… I just thought you had a nightmare." I sputter out.

"I did, but it is long over now, and I found what was scaring me." He kissed my hand, and wrapped his arms around me tighter. Then, he rested his head above mine.

"I've tried really hard, more than really hard, and I need to tell you something. I think that it goes against the respect that I have held for you, and I don't want you to feel pressure, but I really love you."

I lie there silently. Not one thought goes through my head that I can respond with. And, at that moment, I brush my hand across his jaw and kiss him.


	2. Chapter 2: Fire and Ice

**Hey, **

**Seemed like you guys liked the last chapter, so I threw out this one; it's not that long, like my usual ones on other stories. The next few I hope will be though. Enjoy and thanks for the reviews. –IrishGirl2me**

Chapter 2: Love Follows Heartbreak, as Fire Hates Ice

With a pen in my hand, I am sitting in my room before breakfast. I wish to write a letter to Prim, but all that I can possibly get out is '_I love you, and I'll see you soon.' _I scribble her name and our address on the envelope with a beautiful blue ribbon enclosed. Writing letters is difficult for me. Trying to get the words to flow with the work of a pen seems pointless to me; I would rather speak them aloud. Then, though, I can never get the words out. I know it's not enough but I'll see her soon. Someone knocks on the door loudly and I stiffen up straight.

I am not even looking in the direction of whoever is there. I can tell it's not Haymitch or Peeta, because they would have just come in without knocking. I keep my eyes locked onto my desk and fiddle with the pen in my fingers. When I expect to hear a speech about some sort of nonsense, I smell the aroma of blood and roses. President Snow.

My head turns immediately and he has a crooked smirk across his pale face. His stance is hunched over, and now seems to rely on a cane to walk around with.

"Glad I was able to catch your attention," he stares deep into my eyes trying to detect a weakness, but I stare back stronger. His tone is cold and bitter.

"Unfortunately, there has been an… accident. Usually thinks like this don't happen, unless they are provoked, so I expect this to be difficult for you. There was a large mine accident that engulfed the mines in flames. It continued to spread, and has destroyed and diminished almost every part of District 12."

"I have no reason to believe you." My eyes are locked on his. Now, I am the hunter again and he is the prey. I spare him some seconds to finish his story and plot out my plan.

"Seventy-five percent of District 12's population is dead. Counting fatalities were an easy job to do in the mines, as well, for there was no one to count. All of the workers were vaporized, as well as anyone near the entrances. The rest burned to bits. How some managed to survive, is a miracle, but I know that all wish they had died then, for they are dying now. The unusual fast process of cancer has several dropping like flies, and the rest are coughing themselves out with a black tar substance erupting from their lungs. Prim, your mother, and your cousin, Gale, are dead." His face still contains the awful smirk.

The words stung to me like needles on my tongue. _No, he's lying. _I leap and grab his neck, squeezing with all of my will; I hear his chocking and struggle to breathe. Men in black break down the door and throw me off of him. They kick and beat me until I am left in the corner of my room barely breathing. Broken ribs and bruises everywhere is what I am expecting. I take sparing breaths and clench my stomach. I have coughed up blood before, but not like this.

I hear screeching and loud bangs from the train. Heat radiates in the air and black smoke starts to fill the room. I see the flames, and I know that they are coming for me. Mirrors and pictures in the hallway I hear crash to the floor and crumble. Footsteps are scarce and heading towards my door.

"Katniss? Katniss! Where are you?" he yells out to me. Peeta searches the room and I try to yell out to him from the corner behind my bed. Not a sound comes out, but a squeak. He catches me in his sight and runs over, cradles me in his arms and dodges the scattered flames. No one is around; the place is marked with black burns. It doesn't look like a small fire started; more like a bomb was set off when President Snow left, purposely so we would get killed. I look into the open doors of the train's rooms, as he is running, and see a tevelvision left on. Only for a second can I catch the glimpse of "District 12 Left In Flames" and a reporter sitting on what seems to be rock in the middle of our town. I can't be sure thought.

My head is killing me, and Peeta is muttering something to me. I can't hear him, and I can't see anymore. _"Things like this usually don't happen unless they are provoked," _the words are spinning in my head. All I feel is the sharp coldness running up my spine, and I'm out.


	3. Chapter 3: Deep Inside

The smell of flames alerted me at once. My eyes quivered to open, and I wasn't free to escape. I tugged my arms away, not even aware of my surroundings.

"Katniss? What are you doing?" Peeta said scratchily, like he had just woken up.

I glared around and saw us inside some sort of tent? Nothing like out of cloth, but woven with branches; it was tall enough for us to stand inside of and the width was generous inside. A small opening in the roof let out the smoke from the embers that dared to burn in the small fire. It was actually warm, too. The snow that was packed down to a level surface was melting near the fire.

I pointed my finger around at the place that was built. My other hand was held up to my forehead.

"How did you do this?"

"You haven't woken in three days. We needed warmth, and I had a lot of time on my hands. Are you feeling at all better?"

I really had no idea what he was talking about until it hit me. The train, the victory tour, President Snow, and the television screen. _Oh, no._

Tears streamed down my face.

"No, she can't be dead. No! Prim…"  
>Katniss, what are you talking about?" his face looked in distress and shock. I must not be very rational right now.<p>

I sniffled and breathed in and out deeply, "President Snow told me that District 12 was completely blown up by a mine accident. And…"

"And what Katniss, tell me."

"Wait, where everyone is, and how… Where are we?"

"I had to save you, and in the train as I was getting us out, you passed out. I was panicked. Everyone was gone and so I jumped off. The train was engulfed with flames, so my only option was follow the train tracks or stay in the woods. But, how are you sure? President Snow wasn't on the train, was he?"

"Peeta, he came. When we were leaving, though, I saw the tv in Effie's room. He is telling the truth."

I lowered down into a squat and stared into the fire. I then, focused on his face. You could almost see what he was thinking. Peeta told me once before how he was never close to his family. I could see why he wasn't with his mom, from what I know about the bread incident. His dad, although, seemed like a humble and kind man. I guess that he want that upset about it, unless he was hiding his feelings more carefully than his thoughts.

It was never going to get over the loss of Prim. I felt my face burn red, with the blood rushing to it, and steaming hot tears running down my cheeks. I thought of my mother. After my dad died, a part of me already felt like she was gone. It didn't help that I was furious with her in those feelings. Blocking it out of my mind, I lied down on the packed-snow ground.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked with voice velvet smooth.

"I'm thinking about how not to think about Prim." I let out a huff, in a joking way.

"Yeah, it's going to be hard."

"So, what should we do here?"

"I have no idea. I assume that we could try to ride it out until we have an idea of plan."

"True. Hungry?"

He stood and placed red raw meat on a stick, and turned it around like it was on a spit.

"When did you get that?"

"I told you, I had a lot of time on my hands. It was lying outside and so I gently rung his neck. I promise-he felt nothing."

"Well, thanks." He handed me a stick, and I crawled over towards him, and leaned my back against the cool wall of the fort.

"It's actually really nice here." I said softly, and took a bite of the rabbit meat.

* * *

><p>We sat there for hours laughing and joking around. It was one of the first times we ever had where there was no pressure from anyone or anything around us.<p>

"We are like, completely free." I said.

Then, he grabbed my hand and rubbed it with his thumb. He looked at me noticing what seemed like every feature and aspect of my face. I did that to him.

I remembered the night before the fire on the train, and how I felt. I felt that way now, but I realized that I do love Peeta.

I broke the glare stared down at our hands. He was enjoying this time and I was too.

Peeta grabbed my chin and lifted it up to meet eyes.

"I will always love you, no matter what."

"I know," I interrupted him, when I knew Peeta was going to say more, "but I think I love you too, and that I always have, but never really knew it."

He cleared his throat and hugged me. Holding me into him, he then lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and rest my head on his shoulder crying small tears. He spun me around and pulled my face back so he could see it. My smile matched his, and Peeta kissed me.

Peeta lowered us down again, still kissing me and sat cross legged. I hesitated to pull my legs away from behind his waist, but he reassured me by moving them in closer. His hands moved up along my back, and tangled themselves in my hair. My chest was pressed against his.

I grabbed the collar of his shirt and held the back his head to pull him to lie down. When he did, he balanced himself on his forearm, and pulled away. Peeta then swept his fingers across my cheekbone.

He rolled over to his side on his back, and held my frame. He pulled me over, so I rested beside him in a fetal position. One arm kept around my waist and the other played with my wavy hair.

"I trust you." I said.

"I know, but I don't want to rush anything you don't want."

"I promise, I would tell you if I didn't."


	4. Chapter 4: Pandora's Box

"Just look at me. Please?"  
>"Peeta, I don't want to talk right now, okay?"<br>"Maybe I shouldn't have said what I did, but that shouldn't change anything. I still love you and we were having a really great night."  
>"Saying that I might be better off without my family is not what I call a good night," I said sternly.<br>"Katniss! You know that's not what I meant. I thought we were going somewhere with this, like bigger things. It's a god sent gift that we are at least away from what was going on in District 12! And we are away from the Capitol, even if we are in the middle of nowhere."  
>Never had I seen him this mad. Maybe I had taken it too far, but I was not giving up my pride and dignity in this yet. Yeah, I admit it is a stupid battle I'm playing, and I'm too stubborn to admit it to him now.<br>"Just forget about it."  
>I grabbed another stick from the pile he had made, and put a chunk of rabbit meat on it. I mindlessly roasted it and started to forget about the whole argument. It was so quiet and in this small space, you could hear the wind howling outside.<br>I looked over to Peeta and saw him pacing back and forth with his arms crossed. His faxed was etched into a scowl. I guess this argument was over. He meets my glare, and I focused on the meat roasting to avoid eye contact.  
>"Did you seriously think that you could deny your feelings for so long? How long would it have taken you to realize that you loved me, if I hadn't said it so many times before? Or am I your alternative option to Gale, now that he's dead?"<p>

I dropped the burnt meat I was cooking into the fire.

"You know, I never loved Gale. He actually wanted to run away with me, and I said yes. He never went. He loved me. He told me. So is that a good enough answer or are you going to continue this?" I walked over to him and wrapped my finger around his chin and kissed his forehead.

We turned away from each other, lied down, and stared up at the roof, and the smoke escaping from it.

I'd slept for a few hours, I thought, but Peeta looked like he hadn't. He moved his positioning, and I could see through my squinted eyes, he was watching me. To my surprise, he removed his jacket, and covered me. He then, swept a piece of hair away from my face.

"Peeta?"

"Hey," he said softly.

I looked around.

"We're getting a mud bath on our hands," I spoke softly. I turned to my side looking at the melted slush and water covering what was our snow-packed floor. Mostly, it was near the fire.

He ran his hand over the mud, and squeezed it through his fingers. I cracked a smile.

"Do you want some moisturizer, Katniss? I heard it's great for your skin!" he jumped to his feet and threw a blob of mud smack in the middle of my face.

"Does someone want to snuggle?" I grabbed two fistfuls of mud and rubbed it all over my body.

**Peeta's POV**

Part of me wished that there was only mud on her, and another part of me screamed control your hormones.

I bent down and grabbed a fistful and lathered it into my hair.

"See, equal." He muttered.

"Oh no!" She jumped and held onto me, covering me in mud.

"Hahahah, very funny." I spoke. I smiled and put her on her feet.

My face was very stern, and I sat down looking into the fire. The expression wasn't intended. We were having fun, but I just was thinking of harder things, which I know both of us have been avoiding. The 'love birds' was now real, happily, but honestly what is going on is more serious than I'd been taking it.

I saw her strengthen the fire; adding more wood. Now, that we were covered in mud, it honestly didn't matter that her knees were sinking into the mud. I wasn't melting outside- I know from when we had gone hunting. Probably colder, and more snow; we didn't stay out long.

"Peeta." Her voice was alert.

**Katniss POV:**

What seemed like tin rumble, looked to be something more. I dug into the ground with my fingernails, and attempted to pull it out.

"What is it?"

"I have no idea. Help me."

We reached in, scrapping off rocks and mud, trying to identify what it was.

"How did you see this?" Peeta asked.

"My knee hit it."

Leaving a hole at least four to five feet long, we had let a huge metal box escape from the depths below it. Fuddling with it, we seemed to open it up. Rust covered the inside of it, making it hard to recognize any features it once had. We peered in, like curious children.

It seemed like thousands of papers filled it, large and small, and stained with time's acid. I first pulled out a book.

_Hey all,_

_Just wanted to thank all of you for the Story Alerts, Favorite Author, Author Alerts, and reviews that you all have taken the time to subscribe and write. I appreciate you reading my stories, and I am super excited to share a huge, suspenseful plot that will unwrap to lead in a completely different direction with more romance. I wanted to end this chapter quickly, so sorry it's so choppy and possible confusing. PM me any questions you have, or write me a signed review! When Peeta and Katniss find the 'box', they open their destiny into a completely different path, so beyond the Hunger Games Series. Enjoy, because I know I will enjoy writing it._

_Yours truly,_

_IrishGirl2me_


	5. Chapter 5: New Beginnings

"I can't understand how any of this could be real. It's like… like a fairytale; a dream. I just don't know…" he spoke softly, almost in a whisper.

"What do you mean? I haven't seen anything remotely interesting in here yet." I sorted the maps, books, and loose papers into piles. Peeta held out the book we first took out of the tin.

"Read this." His eyes locked on mine like stone.

"… _I would like to make sure that you understand this entirely. What I am going to write in this journal to you should not be spoken about until completely read. _

_ Let me start off by explaining my current situation. I am a scientist living in the United States- in my case- you have found this in the middle of one of your districts. I have created this time capsule so you too can have freedom and unbelievable knowledge of the technology that today's world possess. I had the access to all of this information, in which I want to express to you. An uprising of citizens has caused our nation in 1975 to force a government secret plan to keep the world at peace. The people who have started Panem have lied, cheated, stolen, and threatened to kill millions of people, including the suicide of themselves to get what they want. Obviously, the US was forced to be engaging in with the plans of making 'Panem'. The people who started Panem had gotten hold of the world's most powerful nuclear weapons; they wanted to blow the world to shreads. The US government offered them a significant amount of land, and protect from the world around them, with the promise of peace. I know that this is all very confusing, and I'm sorry, but keep reading, please for the sake of a better life. They 'stole' about 50,000 citizens, brainwashed them, and decided to create a 'post-apocalyptic' civilization. Understanding that history would be challenged is the reason for the brainwashing and the lie about the post-apocalypse, they manipulated these people. Create the fake apocalypse would avoid any questioning and exploration. It was wrong for the US government to do this, but it would be less catastrophic than their alternative. The US government has lied about the borders of the United States. There are large fences that border the district that will vaporize your entire body within a 10 foot radius. Then, the US kept a 5 mile radius around that barrier with miles of protection to avoid their innocent citizens from sure death. Now, so know you have been lied to- about everything. Your entire life has been completely made up in the sick mind of an evil man. There is more out in the world to offer you that is better than what you have._

_ Now, I am telling you that I have a plam for you to escape, if you chose to. How? I have taken that into consideration. There is a tunnel completely constructed for you to escape. It is ten feet (or more) below you; you just have to dig. The tunnel will lead into a secret door in my basement. You will travel 100,000+ miles to get to freedom. I wish you best of luck with this journey if you chose to accept it. If not, please bury all that belongs here back into the ground. _

_ If you want to accept it, you are recommended to read through all of the information that I have provided. It is the history of the world, from what I know now in 1975. Yes, things will have changed, events in history, etc, but I doubt very much. Anyways, read this information and study it. Learn about your human kind and how it actually developed into what it is. Thank you._

_Yours Unconditionally,_

_Dr. Herbeet Schienle_

_26 Yelp Lane, Boston, MA_

_P.S. Please check out the attached map. Again, good luck."_

_{_**NOTE FROM IRISHGIRL2ME: ****Dr. Herbeet Schenle's map link. Just search it or whatever. . I figured posting it would be a lot easier. **... So just copy and paste into your browser. }

"Peeta…" My mouth wouldn't shut. I started rambling about nonsense; _what if?, how?, and can we?_

"Do you think this is a trap into another one of the Hunger Games?" he said blantly.

"No, actually, I think it's a way out, for once."

* * *

><p><em>Hey!<em>

_Hope you like it! Sorry it took almost forever- I had about five drafts and this was the one. Working on the next one- promise it wont be such a long wait. SUPENSE! Thanks to all of my readers again! I'm loving the reviews and the millions of PMs, so keep sending! If you want to know more about me go to my twitter. No, there isnt any really personal info, but if you have questions about something feel free to tweet me there or tweet about my stories! Thanks!_

_-ME_


	6. Chapter 6: Night

_Hey Guys,_

_I wanted to apologize for the map link not working… It worked when I first posted it but I don't know what happened. I am going to post it on my twitter page for you. The link for my twitter IrishGirl2me page is on my profile. Sorry about that. –IrishGirl2me_

__

"This either is a sick trick that the Capitol has planned, or we've been saved from hell." Peeta said.

"I don't know if it is a trick, it seems too well-planned out. Usually they have plot holes in theirs."

"What do you mean? I'm not disagreeing with you, yet, but I'm just trying to make sense of this," he whispered staring at the ground.

"What if we tried… Like we went through with it; I mean why not?"

"Either way, I want to read through this information and figure it out. My mind is going crazy with the thought of this all being true and the fact that we could open up a whole new world for us to live in."

"Can we make a compromise?" I raised my eyebrow in disbelief.

"Huh, a compromise? Humor me," he huffed leaning back on his bent elbows.

"Stop it. If we read through all of this information, study it, can we make an educated guess about this after we know all of this? Not let our beliefs corrupt our thoughts, and lets just stay neutral? Can we try?"

"That sounds reasonable."

I leaned over the large box, and sorted through the books. I held up the list that Dr. Herbeet told us to use to study from.

"_Read in order:_

_The History of the World Textbook (this will give you all of the basic knowledge of the world)_

_Greatest Books of All Time (This book will give you an overview of authors and their works like Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and so on.)_

_Pick one book from the stack wrapped in twine. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Erye, etc._

_The Modern World's Technology and Future_

_Human Body and Evolution_

_History of America_

_That should cover it; whatever I haven't given you I will explain if you come."_

Peeta and I indulged the books reading constantly over time. It was hard to believe. It's like opening your eyes picturing bright light, and not knowing if it's too dark to see or you've become blind. Turning the page at points made us is filled with rage and others made us intrigued to see what world they were talking about.

Peeta is much faster reader than I, so I let his begin first. It was like shifts that we took at the Hunger Games. I slept while he read, and he slept while I read. We finished the first textbook in a matter of two day. It took us a day after to catch up with hunting for food, and time to just relax.

We began reading the novels soon after, Peeta immediately began a book called Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. She was an author in England a long time before modern civilization. She, I guess, wrote for social commentary and to express her thoughts on how the time's inequality for women was unfair. By the first flip of the page, Peeta seems to love the book. I can't understand why though; when it is my turn to read, I can barely follow the way it was written in 'old-English' as Peeta put it.

So, I am sitting, leaning against our hut. I am freezing, but I can't stand the claustrophobia I feel, so I itch outside.

The cold air rushes into my lungs and comforts my whole body. I shut my eyes to the beautiful glistening moon and stars above me in the dark painted sky. The clouds cascade like stretched cotton. In some spots, snow sprinkles; landing on my head. I open my eyes and feel the snowflakes melt into water droplets on my eyelashes. Goosebumps then start to rise across my body, and my breath makes small clouds that soon disappear into the darkness. I look back at the 'igloo-hut' that we have been living in, and get a sense that it is remarkable that anything that weak could of stayed up for so long. I glance to the full moon above me again and remember my father telling me about the man face on the moon. That sends warmth through me, but nothing to compete with the frigid air. I follow the dark outlines of branches exaggerated in the backlight of the moon.

"In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." A voice spoke behind me. I turned quickly, surprised with shock, in spite of whose face my eyes saw.


End file.
